Author's Note: Hey Guys! Yet again i apologize for taking so long, things have been going on in my life that have made me need to put this on hold for a while but i promise i'll be posting more sooner. Especially since its almost over. Can you believe it? Anyway on to the story!
Chapter 16
Mimiko wheezed in a breath as her body trembled with pain. Blood was seeping from the multitude of silver induced wounds all over her body. Cassa had wrapped thin silver chains around her arms, neck, torso, and legs and the smell of her burning flesh made her stomach roll with disgust. Her shorn hair, which Cassa had cut moments before, clung to her sweaty brow, face, and neck and Mimiko stared down at the long strands on the ground as she felt the silver chains burn into her body. She was tattooed in an array of bruises, cuts, and gashes. Her blood flowed freely from her body and her lip was bleeding heavily from the force she had used when biting down to hold her screams at the beginning. But her voice had given out long ago as the torture to break the seal went on for hours.
Cassa had only stopped to take a quick meal before returning to start up the torture again. Mimiko reveled in the time she was away, trying to break from her bonds but nothing she did broke them. She tried to use her powers to create some sort of ice to snap them, or even water to slip her hands free, but each time the seal would tap out her strength. She attempted to yank the chain from the ceiling but her body weight was not enough. So here she hung, waiting for Cassa to return and start again. Waiting for Jiro to rescue her like the damned damsel in distress. She shook her head, disgusted with how weak she was. Jiro had taught her how to be strong but she couldn't even break free of the hook above her head. Shaking her head back she flip the short choppy hair from her face and glared up at the hook. It was a simple hook really, all she had to do was move her hands up and over if she had been standing. Standing instead of hanging.
Growling she began to swing her body back and forth intending to use the momentum to lift herself off the hook but as she swung up and lifted her hands, the hook slipped between one of the links and lodged itself tight. She sighed almost ready to admit defeat but knew this was her only chance to escape if she wanted to, and she really did. Mustering her strength she grabbed the chain around her wrists again and swung her body back and forth, the silver chains burning further into her skin with each motion. As she reached the peak of the next swing she jerked her body up and the hook slipped free, causing her to go sailing through the air and to crash hard onto the floor below. Her body froze with the pain and she was stuck for a minute.
Mimiko took a second to right her equilibrium and gather her strength before gritting her teeth and pulling the chains from her body. The pain was unbearable. Her wounds smoking and sizzling as her skin clung to the silver, she was glad they would heal quickly. The wounds wouldn't seal and in fact they seemed to get worse the more she pulled the silver away. Hissing at the acidity of the metal she pulled the last strand free and stood shakily. Knowing the door was the only way out she began making her way towards it when it opened and Cassa walked in.
"My, my, Mimiko," she said as she clapped her hands, "that's quite impressive of you to be able to lift yourself from that hook when your body is wrapped in silver. Too bad you wasted your energy in trying to escape. It would have been better used to help with this next torture session." She laughed before grabbing her neck and cuffing her in silver handcuffs, dragging her back to the altar.
Using Yafuri's help they cuffed her to the altar once again and began wrapping her in the silver chains. Mimiko cried out as the silver seared through her skin once again. Cassa chuckled, "You're probably not gonna survive this next part Mimiko," she said sweetly, "it's too bad, really. Especially since I kinda liked you." She grinned as both she and Yafuri left the room, only to return pushing a wheelchair with a shrouded figure in it.
"You've grown." Said a voice from her nightmares. It was a voice that would haunt her for the rest of her life and it brought back memories of Hongkong and the Kowloon attack ten years ago. Her eyes widened in terror and she pulled on her bonds as he was pushed closer, not caring that the silver was burning her. Her only thoughts were to get away no matter what.
The shrouded figure stood and made his way slowly to her, reaching out a gnarled hand to stroke her cheek. She flinched from the contact, her body shivering with disgust as he leaned towards her, the hood always keeping his face in shadows, his blood red eyes glowing demonically. "Are you ready to feel the most excruciating agony you've ever felt my dear?" he whispered, his lips brushing the tip of her ear. She flinched and hissed her fangs at him, snapping her head forward to bite him. He clenched his twisted hand around her throat, pressing against her windpipe until she struggled for breath, chuckling until he released her. "I see that you are."
Shoving her head to the side he traced her scar with his tongue, groaning with delight. "You still smell as sweet as you did back then." He murmured softly. "Though you are tainted by my enemy."
Mimiko screamed, her cry ringing around the room and echoing shrilly as the Kowloon Kings' fangs buried themselves deep into her neck. Her body arched and spasmed as the most excruciating amount of pain she had ever felt entered her. It was as if liquid silver was being poured into her blood stream to run throughout her body. She jerked away but the cuffs held her down and she could feel the Kowloon venom taking root. An inferno of fire seemed to focus on her scar and her body arched further, retreating from the fangs, the fire, the acidity of the Kowloon venom.
Suddenly there was a gong like noise and the seal on her neck exploded in light, surrounding her in its green glow. Mimiko felt the powers of her body become unleashed in a tempest of energy. She felt him pulling it into himself as he sucked on her blood and blackness began to encroach on her eyes. Through the blackness she could see his memories and thoughts. He remembered the first time he had done this to her and was thinking about all the power she would give him to use against Jiro. He would make him suffer for everything he had put him through and he was going to use her to do it.
All of a sudden her vision focused from the haze of pain engulfing her and zoomed in on the large pipes overhead. With a loud groaning noise the pipes broke and water exploded into the room. The Kowloon King reared back, his fangs and mouth still bloody from her neck to look up at the broken pipe. Taking a deep breath, Mimiko blew out, freezing the silver cuffs around her hands and shattering them into millions of pieces.
Leaning over she went to free her ankles when Cassa grabbed her arm. "LET GO OF ME!" Mimiko screamed feeling the static in her body build until she unleashed it in one burst. Cassa cried out falling to the ground and seizing as she was electrocuted. Yafuri ran to help her but Mimiko quickly hit him with a wall of water, throwing him back against the floor and knocking him unconscious.
Mimiko jumped to the flooded floor but cried out as the wounds inflicted all over her body flared up. Without warning a hand grabbed harshly onto the back of her neck and pulled her up against a hard body. "You shouldn't have done that Mimiko," he growled against her neck, "I will take great pleasure from ridding you of the power that belongs to me."
Turning her around he slammed her against the altar, his hood falling back to expose his face. He was a mismatch patchwork of body muscle, skin, and bone and as she watched, with wide horror struck eyes, the skin formed over the muscle that was his right cheek. His face, now whole, grinned evilly down upon her and she watched as he made a great show of opening his mouth and elongating his fangs. She opened her mouth to scream and with that he embedded his sharp fangs into her neck once again, drawing on her blood until she felt her body go numb.
Gathering the last of her strength together she thought of Jiro and unleashed it in one great burst of lightening, exploding up, past the roof and ground to light the sky like a beacon. She shuddered as she felt the last of her power ebb from her body to fill the Kowloon Kings' as he continued to draw on her neck. Suddenly her body went limp; her head angling back to see Jiro staring at her with horror struck eyes above.
"Jiro." She whispered before losing consciousness.
Jiro and Kotaro had been stumbling around for hours, their bodies physically weak with the torture they could feel Mimiko had been going through. Their minds in chaos with the knowledge that it was only a third of her actual suffering. Cain waited for them at the top of the next rise ahead. He had lost the scent of Sei's seal a few minutes after Jiro and Kotaro had collapsed from the last bout of pain and all three were worried. Jiro coughed, fighting for breath as he and Kotaro pulled themselves off the ground, struggling to stand and carry on.
Suddenly Jiro felt an intense surge of power being drawn together and not ten feet in front of them the ground fell away in a loud roar as a beam of lightning lit the sky. As the air crackled with static, Jiro felt Mimiko's cry resonate through his body and without thinking he ran towards the beam, his only thought to get to her. But as he reached the edge of the large hole he saw the most horrifying sight he had ever witnessed.
Mimiko was limp in the arms of the Kowloon King who was still draining her of the last of her blood. Her body was covered in bruises, cuts, and blood. He could see where silver chains had seared through her skin and saw that her hair had been cut close to her head like when she was human. Just then her head fell back to see him and she whispered his name before he saw her beautiful blue eyes fade to the honey brown they once were and then glaze over.
The Kowloon King stepped away, letting his head fall back in bliss as Mimiko fell into a heap at his feet. He smiled, eyes closed and arms spread wide. "Ahhh," he sighed, "I feel so whole again." Turning he looked up at Jiro with wicked delight.
Jiro growled, his hand clenching tightly around his sword as Kotaro and Cain came up beside him. "Ah, Silverblade," The Kowloon King grinned, "it's been a long time hasn't it?"
"You bastard!" Jiro growled his eyes still focused on Mimiko's still form. "What the hell did you do to her?" He shouted, preparing himself to spring down to her aid when Cain transformed back and grabbed his arm.
"Just took back what was rightfully mine, and really Jiro, there's no need for name calling," he chuckled, "my name is Aku. Now what shall I do with you my dear?" he asked turning to the unconscious Mimiko and moving her head with his foot.
"Don't you touch her!" Jiro growled breaking free of Cain's grip and launching himself towards Aku.
Suddenly a silver chain appeared before him, blocking his swords' swing towards Aku and coiling around the blade. Jiro quickly jumped back letting the chain slide from his blade to glare at Cassa who grinned fiercely at him. "Hello Jiro." She smiled, her grin crazed.
"Cassa." He spat.
"CASSA!" Cain yelled and suddenly he was there fighting against her with the magic of the Warlock Clan.
Leaving Cain to handle her Jiro turned back to Aku, the Kowloon King, and raced towards him. Holding out his hand, Aku concentrated on sending a bolt of lightning at Jiro but nothing happened. In fact he had to quickly retreat from where he was standing so he wouldn't be sliced in two. He leaped to the top of the hole, looking down upon the scene below. Cassa was in the midst of a fight with Cain, Yafuri was unconscious under a pile of rubble, and the Silverblade was rushing to the aid of the girl with a young boy beside him. He glanced at his hand and then to Mimiko, curling his hand into a fist he aimed for her and finally the lightning appeared though not where he had wanted. Jiro had quickly grabbed Mimiko and held her against him as he leaned against the wall under an outcropping of dirt.
"Mimiko!" he growled cupping her face and shaking her slightly. Her head flopped uselessly against his arm and he felt his heart break and tears sting his eyes. "No, no!" he growled looking away and shutting his eyes. "Please Mimiko, please." Leaning forward he placed his head upon her chest, her heart was beating though it was very weak and he sighed with slight relief.
"Jiro, you go, I will attend to Mimi." Kotaro said as he came under their shelter as well. Jiro nodded and brushed back some of her shorn hair with his hand before kissing her briefly and racing away.
"Brother!" Kotaro called, and Jiro turned to him, "Kick his ass!" He grinned waving.
Jiro grinned maliciously and jumped, soaring through the air to follow the Kowloon King as he made his way towards an old warehouse nearby. Kotaro on the other hand sat next to Mimiko and slit his wrist quickly letting the blood flow into her mouth.
"I'm sorry Mimiko, but I need your help now," Kotaro whispered, knowing she probably would not live after this battle, "I am the only one who can kill him but I do not have the power too. Please help me." He finished just as he saw her eyes flutter open to reveal a startling crystal blue.
Her brown hair lightened to a shimmering gold and lengthened to her waist. Her face paled and became that of Alice. Kotaro and she stared at each other and Mimiko knew what had happened. She allowed Alice's appearance to mask her body for a while, in order to confuse the Kowloon King and startle him enough for an unexpected blow. Standing she reached for the sword Kotaro carried with him and unsheathed it. She smiled as she saw her reflection, on the outside she may look like Alice but she was fully herself on the inside. Now was the time for her to put all her training to the test, now was the time for her to take revenge on the being that had caused the most anguish and pain she had ever experienced in her life and the life she had as a vampire. Now was the time to execute the Kowloon King.